VITEX



Vitex has become one of the most widely relied-upon botanicals in American and European herbalism. Vitex modifies the effect of the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. Vitex extract helps regulate and balance female hormone production.



Vitex is also called Chaste Tree, Chaste berry or Monk's Pepper an genus of about 250 species of shrubs and trees from 1-35 m tall, native to tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. In the past widely included in the family Verbenaceae, it has recently been transferred to the family Lamiaceae (Labiatae).



Chaste tree is used as an medicinal plant by many herbalists. The parts used include the chaste tree's leaves, flowers, and berries. The berries are considered a tonic herb for both the male and female reproductive systems. The leaves have the same effect, but to a somewhat lesser degree. The berries are harvested by gently rubbing the berries loose from the stem. The leaves, flowers, and/or berries may be consumed as a decoction, traditional tincture, cider vinegar tincture, syrup, elixir, or simply eaten straight off the plant as a medicinal food.

Vitex agnus castus consists of dried ripe fruits of a densely branched shrub that is indigenous to the Mediterranean and Central Asia. The commercial crops mainly come from Albania and Morocco. The plant blooms in the height of the summer and after pollination develops dark reddish brown to black fruits about the size of a pepper corn.

It is this dried fruit that is used in medicine today. Middle Ages medical writers in Europe simply recopied the ancient Greek and Roman sources, and Vitex was used to treat female disorders.



Benefits of Vitex

Popular herb among woman

Beneficial for premenstrual stress syndrome

Helps to regulate female hormone production

Full spectrum of vitex compounds

Pre-menstrual syndrome

Abnormal menstrual

Breast feeding

Infertility

Hyperprolactinemia

Menopause

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